Mechanism to shift record material from printing



July 30, 1957 F. R. WERNER ETAL MECHANISM TO SHIFT RECORD MATERIAL FROM PRINTING T0 READING POSITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 9, 1955 FIG. 1

INVENTORS FRANK R. WERNER CHARLES W.TOPPER a KENNETH c. FLINT BY 6 M M Mam THEIR 'ATTORNEYS July 30, 1

Filed Sept.

F R. WERNER ET Al.

MECHANISM T0 SHIRT RECORD MATERIAL FROM PRINTING TO READING POSITION 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS FRANK R. WERNER CHARLES W. TOPPER 8 KENNETH C. FLINT MLJ%K@M THERR ATTORNEYS Patented July 30, 1957 MECHANISM TO SHIFT RECORD MATERIAL FROM PRINTING TO READING POSITION Frank R. Werner, Dayton, Charles W. Topper, Centerville, and Kenneth C. Flint, West Carrollton, Ohio, as signors to The National Cash Register Company, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Maryland Application September 9, 1955, Serial No. 533,413

4 Claims. (Cl. 101-93) This invention relates to cash registers and accounting machines and is particularly directed to a means for shifting the web of the detail record strip within the machine from a reading position to a printing position and vice versa.

It is an object of this invention to provide means whereby the web of the detail record strip of a cash register or accounting machine can be moved from a reading position to a printing position and back during each cycle of machine operation in which a printing operation is performed on the detail record strip.

Another object is the provision of means responsive to manually controlled means for selectively moving the web of the detail record strip from reading position to printing position and back again only in connection with certain types of machine operations.

A further object is the provision in a cash register or accounting machine of a movable carriage comprising a pair of rolls mounted in a frame and arranged to cooperate with the detail record strip to shift said strip from a read ing" position to a printing position, and vice versa.

With these and incidental objects in view, the invention includes certain novel features of construction and com binations of parts, a preferred form or embodiment of which is hereinafter described with reference to the drawings which accompany and form a part of this specification.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a detail view showing a portion of the machine cabinet, and also showing the mechanism for shifting the detail strip so that the last entries thereon are visible through the window provided therefor in the front of the cabinet.

Fig. 2 is a detail view showing the control and operating means for the detail strip shifting mechanism.

Fig. 3 is a side spacing plan view of the detail strip shifting mechanism, and the operating means therefor.

Fig. 4 is a perspective view of a mechanism for controlling operations on the detail strip from one of the banks of control keys.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION The machine chosen to illustrate the present invention is of the type described in the applications for United States Letters Patent, Serial No. 341,633, filed March 11, 1953, inventors Frank R. Werner, Kenneth C. Flint and Walter G. Sterzer, and Serial No. 412,464, filed February 25, 1954, inventors Frank R. Werner and Kenneth C. Flint. Reference may be had to the above applications for a full disclosure of mechanisms of the present machine which are not described herein.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION Detail strip feeding mechanism In the illustrated embodiment, the present invention is applied to a machine of the above type and is so arranged that when the machine is in home" position, the last data printed on the detail strip 20 (Fig. 1) will be visible through a window 21 in the machine cabinet 22. A detail paper guide 23 secured to a detail strip front frame 35 is provided for support of the detail strip 20 so that the machine operator may write desired information on said detail strip through an opening 24 in the window 21.

The detail strip 20 is fed from a supply roll 25 having a wooden core 19 with a boring which fits over a supply roll sleeve 26 free on a stud 27 mounted in the detail strip rear frame 28, said sleeve 26 having diametrically opposed teeth which are forced into the core of the supply roll as it is placed on said sleeve to secure said supply roll on said sleeve. The web of the detail strip 20 is unwound from the supply roll 25 and is guided between a detail impression hammer (not shown) and the detail type wheels 29 by a sleeve free on a hammer support stud (not shown) and by studs 30 secured in the frame 28, thence between the rolls 40 and 41 of a take-up device 34, over additional studs 30, and onto the core of a receiving roll 31 rotatably supported on a stud 32 secured in the right side frame 36 (Fig. 3). A coiled take-up spring 18 (Fig. 1), which frictionally engages the sleeve 26 and the stud 27, maintains the web of detail strip 20 taut, so that it will feed properly and not rub against the faces of the type wheels or the inking ribbon. The prongs of a bifurcated turning key 15 engage diametrically opposed slots in the receiving roll 31, serve to attach the web of the detail strip 20 to said receiving roll, and also serve as a means for turning said roll when it is desired to feed the web of the detail strip 20 manually.

Means actuated by a feed operating cam 33 (Figs. 1 and 3) are provided to rotate the receiving roll 31 surficiently to advance the detail strip 20 one increment during each cycle of machine operation in which a printing operation is performed on said detail strip. Retaining pawls 17, coacting with the teeth of a ratchet 16 fast to the receiving roll 31, are provided to prevent rotation of the receiving roll 31 in a reverse direction. This construction is shown and described only in a general way herein but is fully disclosed in the previously mentioned application Serial No. 341,633.

Detail strip shifting mechanism In the present machine, the upper edge of window 21 in the cabinet 22 does not extend upwardly far enough to expose the last few entries on the detail strip 20 to view, and auxiliary means are provided for automatically advancing said detail strip after each printing operation to a position where the last entry thereon may be observed through said window. The detail strip 20 is in this advanced position at the conclusion of each cycle of machine operation in order that this data will be retained in a position where it is visible to the operator when the machine is at rest.

The take-up device for the detail strip 20, which also assists in keeping the web of said strip taut, comprises companion rolls 40 and 41 (Figs. 1 and 3) rotatably mounted on studs secured at one end to a back plate 42, which in turn is secured on a shaft 43 which extends between and is rotatably mounted in the frames 28 and 35. Roll 41 is retained on its stud by means of a retaining screw 44 mounted in back plate 42, the head of which engages a flange on the end of the roll 41 adjacent said back plate. The stud which supports roll 40 is secured at its other end to a front plate 45. Also extending between and secured to plates 42 and 45 is a support stud 46. A pinion 47 is secured to front plate 45 by means of a hub on said pinion secured in a hole in the plate 45. An opening in pinion 47 is provided to receive the shaft 43.

A rack 48, having teeth which coact with the pinion 47 is mounted for linear movement by means of two slots therein cooperating with studs 49 on the frame 35, and

is operatively connected to a lever 50 free on a stud 51 by engagement of a stud 52 secured in said lever with a slot in said rack. Stud 51 extends between and is mounted in the frame and a support plate 57 (Figs. 1 and 3). A spring 53, secured at one end to lever 50, coiled about stud 51, and secured at its other end to a stud 54 extending between and mounted in the frame 35 and the support plate 57, constantly urges the lever in a counterclockwise direction, thus maintaining a roller 55, mounted on said lever, in engagement with the periphery of a cam 56.

It will be seen that as cam 56 is moved in a counterclockwise direction through a complete rotation, it will permit the spring 53 to move lever 50 in a counter-clockwise direction to move rack 48 downward, which in turn will rotate pinion 47 and the take-up device 34 in a clock wise direction, Such rotation moves roll 41 outwardly or to the left as viewed in Fig. l to permit the previously mentioned take-up spring 18 associated with the sleeve 26 on which the supply roll 27 is mounted to rotate said supply roll in a clockwise direction to rewind the web of the detail strip 20 back onto the supply roll and thus bring said strip into printing position. Completion of the cycle of rotation of cam 56 will move lever 50 back to the home" position in which it is shown in Fig. l, which will move rack 48 upward and roll 41 to the right to unwind or advance the upper portion of detail strip 20 against the force of its take-up spring back to reading position.

Operating and control mechanism for detail strip operations The detail strip feed operating cam 33 (Figs. 1 and 3), the detail strip shifting cam 56, a detail strip hammer operating cam and a clutch plate 66 (Figs. 2 and 3) are all secured by spacing hubs in fixed relationship to each other to form a cluster which is free on a stud 67 (Figs. 1 and 2) extending between and mounted in the frames 35 and 36. Rotation of said cluster takes place when the clutch plate 66 is operatively connected to a driving member 68 which is driven one complete revolution counterclockwise each cycle of machine operation.

Pivotally mounted on the plate 66 is a clutch dog 71 urged counter-clockwise by a spring 72, extending between said plate and said dog, to normally maintain a tooth on said dog in a notch in the driving member 68 which is integral with a hammer control cam and a gear 69, said parts being free on the stud 67. The gear 69 meshes with and is driven by a similar gear secured on the right hand end of the main cam shaft (not shown).

The operations of the detail strip printing hammer, feeding, and shifting mechanisms are controlled by a mutilated control disk 78 (Figs. 1 and 2), which is positionable under control of control keys 73 to 77 inclusive. The mutilated periphery of the disk 78 is sensed by a lever 101 which in turn controls the effectiveness of the clutch dog 71, to render the detail strip printing, feeding and shifting mechanisms inoperative or operative, as the case may be, depending upon the effective control key.

The control disk 78 is rotatably mounted on a stud 79 secured in the right side frame 36. said stud being in axial alignment with the machine differential shaft (not shown). The disk 78 has secured thereto an upwardly extending leg 80 having a surface 81 arranged to sense for and engage a stud 89 secured in the stem of each of the keys 73 to 77 inclusive and arranged to be moved into the path of movement of surface 81 upon the depression of one of said keys. The disk 78 has a slot engaged by a stud 82 in the upper end of a lever 83 free on a stud 84 (Fig. l) in the right side frame 36. A spring 85 urges the lever 83 clockwise to normally maintain a roller 86, carried thereby, in yielding engagement with the periphery of a plate cam 87 secured in fixed relationship to a companion plate cam and a gear (not shown), said parts being rotatably supported on a stud 88 secured in the frame 36. The gear for the cam 87 meshes with another gear (not shown) and said gear and said cam are driven thereby one counter-clockwise revolution during each cycle of machine operation.

Operation of the cam 87 permits the spring 85 to rock the lever 83 clockwise, said lever in turn rocking the disk 78 and the leg 80 counter-clockwise, to cause the surface 81 on said leg to sense for the stud 89 in the depressed control keys 73 to 77 inclusive. Contact of the surface 81 with the stud 89 in the depressed control key positions the disk 78 accordingly, after which the cam 70, operating in cooperation with a roller carried by the lever 101 free on a stud 102 in the frame 36, permits said lever 101 to move counter-clockwise in a sensing direction, under the influence of a spring 103, to cause a bent-over car 104 on its inner end to sense the periphery of the control disk 78.

The Sub-Total key 74 and the Multiple Item key 75 position the disk 78 so that an undercut or low portion 107 of its periphery is opposite the ear 104, and as a result, the lever 101 is free to move counter-clockwise under the influence of the spring 103, to move another bent-over ear 105, near its center, into the path of a shoulder 106 (Fig. 2) formed on the clutch dog 71. Counterclockwise rotation of the plate 66 and the earns 33, 56 and tit; (Figs. 1, 2 and 3), causes the shoulder 106 to engage the ear 105 and disengage the tooth on the dog 71 from the notch in the member 68, to disable the detail strip hammer operating, feeding and shifting mechanisms when either the Sub-Total key 74 or the Multiple Item key 75 is used to initiate machine operation.

The other control keys 73, 76 and 77 position the disk 78 so that the high portion of its periphery is opposite the ear 104; consequently, counter-clockwise movement of the lever 101 is obstructed, and the car 105 is retained out of the path of the shoulder 106 on the dog 71. As a result said dog remains effective to connect the earns 33, 56 and 65 to their operating member 68, to cause the detail strip impression, feeding and shifting mechanisms to function, as explained before, to print a record of the operation upon the detail strip 20.

Also controlling the operations of the detail strip printing hammer, feeding and shifting mechanisms is a disabling arm 110 (Fig. 4) which is positionable under control of any one of a plurality of control keys 111 located in a key bank adjacent the bank containing keys 73 to 77 inclusive (Fig. 2). Disabling arm 110 is adjustably secured on the outer end of a shaft 112 by any suitable means, here shown as a set screw 113. The shaft 112 is rotatably mounted in the machine framework and carries at its inner end an arm 114 which is notched to receive a stud 115 secured in a companion arm 116 which in turn is secured on one end of a shaft 117 mounted in the machine framework in axial alinement with the shaft 112. Secured on the other end of shaft 117 is a crank 118 pivotally connected to a shifting detent 119 rockably supported in the machine framework, as is fully disclosed in the previously mentioned application Serial No. 412,464. The detent 119 has five shifting notches 120 arranged to coact respectively with corresponding studs 121 in the keys 111, only one of which may be depressed at a time.

Depression of one of the keys 111 causes its stud 121, in cooperation with the corresponding shifting notch 120, to rock the detent 119 an extent corresponding to the depressed key 111, the notches being arranged so that each key 111. is operable to move the detent 119 to a different position when depressed. The movement of the detent 119 is transmitted through the crank 118 to shaft 117 to rock said shaft and its attached arm 116 a distance corresponding to the movement of said detent. Rotation of arm 116 is transmitted by stud 115 to arm 114, shaft 112, and disabling arm 110. A sufficient rotation of disabling arm 110 in a counter-clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4 will position its hook-shaped end portion under a bent-over ear 122 on the outer end of lever 101 to prevent counter-clockwise movement of said lever. The ear 105 (Fig. 2) is thus retained out of the path of the shoulder 106 on the dog 71, and said dog remains efiective to connect the cams 33, 56 and 65 (Figs. 1 and 3) to their operating member 68, to cause the detail impression, feeding, and shifting mechanisms to function, as explained before.

Due to the adjustable securement of arm 110 to shaft 112, it is possible to vary the setting of said arm on said shaft so that different ones of the keys 111 will disable the lever 101 from clutch-disengaging movement upon depression. Notches 120 on detent 119 are so arranged that the bottom key 111 in its bank when depressed will move the detent 119 to its extreme position in a clockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4, and so that the top key 111 when depressed will move said detent to its extreme position in a counter-clockwise direction. The intermediate keys 111 when depressed will move detent 119 to corresponding positions between the two extreme limits of movement.

It will thus be seen that the disabling arm 110 can be adjustably secured on shaft 112 in such a position that it will be moved into blocking relation with ear 122 of lever 101 only by depression of the bottom key 111, and not by depression of any of the other keys in said bank. Such an adjustment of arm 110 on shaft 112 may be used where the bottom key 111 is a Tax key, for example, the other keys in this bank being various other itemizing keys, and it is desired to print all tax entries on the detail strip 20, but not other itemizing entries.

Similarly the arm 110 may be positioned on the shaft 112 so that said arm will be moved into blocking relation by depression of others of the keys 11. It should be noted that when the arm 110 is adjusted so that depression of one of the upper keys 111 will move said arm into blocking relation with ear 122, all of the keys 111 lower in the bank than such upper key will also, upon depression, move arm 110 into blocking relation with the ear 122, and thus prevent clutch disengagement.

Positioning means is provided for halting the cluster comprising earns 33, 56 and 65, and clutch plate 66 when this cluster is disengaged from driving member 68, so that the shoulder 106 of dog 71 will be retained in a position in which it is engageable by the car 105 of lever 101, and so that said cluster will not be rotated by the frictional engagement of said dog 71 with the periphery of the driving member 68.

A retaining arm 125 (Fig. 1), free on a stud 126 in the frame 36, carries a roller 127 which cooperates with the periphery of the hammer operating cam 65, said arm 125 being urged counter-clockwise by a spring 128, to normally maintain a prominent surface thereon in contact with a stop stud 129 in the right side frame 36, which stop stud normally maintains the roller 127 clear of the low or dwell portion of said cam 65. Secured in fixed relationship to the arm 125 by a hub 130 free on the stud 126 is an arm 131 of such length that a surface 132 at the end thereof is adapted, under certain conditions, so coact with a flattened stud 133 (Fig. 2) secured in the cam 70, as will subsequently be described.

At approximately the same time that the shoulder 106 on the dog 71 engages the car 105 on the lever 101, the node of the cam 65 engages the roller 127 and attempts to rock the arm 125 clockwise against the action of the spring 128. This retains the cams 33, 56, and 65 against any tendency to creep out of disengaged position during the remainder of the cycle of machine operation. In the event that the node of cam 65 is urged against roller 127 with sufficient force, by the action of spring 53 urging lever 50 and roller 55 against cam 56 to which the cam 65 is fixedly connected, to move said roller 127 and the arm 125 clockwise against the force of spring 128, the arm 131 will be rotated clockwise so that surface 132 thereon is interposed in the path of movement of the flattened stud 133 (Fig. 2) on cam 70. As cam '70 com-- pletes its counter-clockwise rotation, stud 133 will engage surface 132 on arm 131 and will force said arm in a counter-clockwise direction. This movement will be imparted to arm 125 and roller 127 and will halt cam 65 and force it back to its normal disengaged position in the event it has overrun said position. The operation of the arms 125 and 131 also insures that the shoulder 106 on the dog 71 will not move beyond the car on lever 101, so that said ear is free to move into the path of said shoulder in the succeeding machine operation, if necessary. if, in the succeeding machine operation, the lever 101 is restrained against counter-clockwise movement, the notch on the member 68 is free to engage the tooth of the dog 71 and carry said dog, the plate 66, and the cams 33, 56 and 65 in unison therewith to render the detail strip printing, feeding and shifting mechanisms operative.

It will be noted that during machine operations in which the cluster comprising the cams 33, 56 and 65 and the clutch plate 66 is not disengaged from the driving member 68, the roller 127 on arm will ride up and over the node of the cam 65 against the force of spring 128, rather than halting the rotation of said cluster. In such operations, the surface 132 of arm 131 will not engage stud 133 on cam 70 since it will not be interposed in the path of movement of said stud at the time said stud moves past it.

Inasmuch as the mechanism comprising the present invention is not of a complicated nature, it is believed that a full understanding of the operation of said mechanism will have been obtained by a perusal of the preceding specification, and for this reason it is thought unnecessary to incorporate herein a further and more detailed description of the operation of said mechanism.

While the form of mechanism herein shown and described is admirably adapted to fulfill the objects primarily stated, it is to be understood that it is not intended to confine the invention to the one form or embodiment herein disclosed, for it is susceptible of embodiment in various other forms.

What is claimed is:

1. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to print records on record material, the combination of manually operable means for controlling the functioning of the machine; a record material supply roll; a record material receiving roll; means to prevent unwinding movement of the receiving roll; means to guide the web of the record material from the supply roll to the receiving roll; spring means associated with the supply roll to maintain the web of record material taut; a take-up device rotatably mounted in the machine framework and comprising a pair of side plates and a pair of rollers mounted in the side plates and adapted to receive the web of the record material between them, said takeup device being movable to cause the web of the record material to be shifted first from a Reading position to a Printing position, and subsequently, against the force of said spring means, from a Printing position to a Reading position; a pinion secured to the takeup device; a rack mounted for linear movement in the machine and coacting with the pinion to shift the take-up device; an actuating cam; a lever pivotally connected to the rack and having a roller thereon; means urging said roller into engagement with the periphery of said cam; driving means for the cam; and clutch means controlled by the manually operable means for selectively engaging and disengaging the actuating cam from the driving means.

2. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to print records on record material; the combination of manually operable means for controlling the functioning of the machine; a record material supply roll; spring means associated with the supply roll to maintain the web of the record material taut; a record material receiving roll; means to prevent unwinding movement of the receiving roll; means to guide the web of the record material from the supply roll to the receiving roll; shifting means coating with the web of the record material to move said material relative to the supply roll and to the receiving roll from a Printing position to a Reading position against the force of said spring means; driving means for driving said shifting means; and clutch means controlled by said manually operable means for selectively engaging and disengaging the shifting means from the driving means.

3. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to print records on record material, the combination of a first set of manually operable means for controlling the functioning of the machine; a second set of manually operable means for additionally controlling the functioning of the machine; shifting means constructed and arranged to shift the record material from a first position to a second position, and subsequently back to said first position; means to drive said shifting means; and clutch means for selectively engaging and disengaging said shifting means from said driving means, said clutch means including a pivotally mounted lever having a first end portion in operative relation to said first set of manually operable means and having a second end portion in operative relation to said second set of manually operable means, whereby said clutch means is controlled by said sets of manually operable means.

4. In a machine of the class described, constructed and arranged to print records on record material, the combination of manually operable means for controlling the functioning of the machine; a record material supply roll; a record material receiving roll; means to prevent unwinding movement of the receiving roll; means to guide the web of the record material from the supply roll to the receiving roll; spring means associated with the supply roll to maintain the web of the record material taut; means including two rollers positioned in engagement with the web of the record material, said rollers being located between the supply roll and the receiving roll, and shiftably mounted for movement between a normal position and an operated position to vary the length of the path of the Web between said supply roll and said receiving roll; and means controlled by said manually operable means to shift said rollers between said two positions, firstly to reduce the length of the path of the web, and secondly to increase the length of the path of said web, the slack in the web resulting from the first movement of the rollers being taken up by the spring means to shift said web to a first position, and the increase in the length of the path of the web resulting from the second movement of the rollers causing said web to be shifted against the force of said spring means to a second position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,554,761 Rice Sept. 22, 1925 1,722,446 Thistlewaite July 30, 1929 1,818,338 Kropff Aug. 11, 1931 2,264,855 Pasinski Dec. 2, 1941 2,497,264 Klosterman Feb. 14, 1950 2,730,093 Werner Jan. 10, 1956 

